The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Road Trip - Part 2
The sleeper surprise of the day was Lusigny-sur-Ouche, so-named because it is on the Ouche River. In fact, the river flows right through the center of town in a shallow stone canal. The effect is hypnotic. We were fantasizing about what it would be like to live in a house with a flowing river right at your back door.
The Burgundy Canal was once a main supply route for Paris and still carries a fair amount of traffic, although these days most of it is pleasure barges in the warmer months. Today the canal was lightly frozen over, putting most of the boats into hibernation.
We also stopped by Chateau Chateauneuf. Although you can't tell from the very cropped photo (to show you more detail), the town sits on a hilltop with a commanding view of the Auxois valley. The chateau is more of a medieval castle, complete with a protective moat, and is open for tours in the summer.
As we wandered about today, we were looking for someplace to have lunch. Nothing doing. Sundays are tough in France. So we headed back to Nolay and the Cafe du Centre where we ate the day we arrived. We love the ancient feel of this place ... and there was actually a bit of sun to give some color to the picture. While I was at it, I got a better shot of Les Halles. Tomorrow is market day in Nolay and the hall should be jumping!
Directly across the square from the Cafe and Les Halles and just behind the church (you can see a corner of it on the left), we found an ancient half-timbered house for sale. Margene wants to buy it! I admit that it certainly has some true character but I suspect she won't be happy for long without some proximity to water. Maybe we should talk to an estate agent in Lusigny-sur-Ouche! The last shot is just a few yards down from the old house and I had to share it with you. I just love the character of this town!
© 2011 Restaurant Doctor
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